Over-The-Counter vs Prescription Prenatal Vitamins

If you are trying to conceive, then taking prenatal vitamins one of the best choices you could ever make. Prenatal vitamins provide all required the nutrients for a healthy pregnancy.

An array of prenatal vitamins can be found in todays market. Some of these can be bought easily over-the-counter, whilst others will need a prescription from your doctor. Are you still wondering whether to go with prenatal supplements despite the fact that over-the-counter vitamins seem more promising? Read further to understand the difference between over-the-counter and prescription prenatal vitamins.

The main difference between the two is the amount of folic acid included. Folic acid is an important ingredient in prescription prenatal vitamins, as it plays a vital role in building healthy blood cells. Common ingredients are calcium, folic acid and iron. The prescription prenatal vitamins mostly contain 1,000 mcg Folic Acid, whereas over-the-counter prenatal vitamins contain Folic acid anywhere from 400 mcg to 800 mcg.

An informal comparison made on over-the-counter prenatal vitamins and prescribed prenatal vitamins concluded that although over-the-counter vitamins are high in almost all micronutrient levels, they are lower in folic acid and iron. In this case alone, it can be proved that prescribed supplements are far better than over-the-counter vitamins. Apart from being rich in folic acid, prescription prenatal vitamins also contain stool softeners. The stool softeners help relieve constipation. The prescription based prenatal vitamins usually contain a higher dosage of iron to help prevent iron deficiency during pregnancy. In most cases, neural tube defect occurs in babies during the first few weeks of the pregnancy period. To provide a pregnant woman with sufficient amounts of folic acid is important, as it helps to prevent neural tube defects. A daily dosage of folic acid of about 0.6 mg with upper intake of about 1.0 mg a day during pregnancy is usually recommended.

Yet another reason why most pregnant women prefer purchasing prescribed prenatal supplements is the FDA approved seal. As FDA approves prescribed prenatal supplements, they are certain to meet their standards. It means your body is going to meet its vitamin needs perfectly for definite. However, it is not the same with over-the-counter prenatal vitamins. Thus, it is advisable to consult your doctor before taking any sort of vitamin supplements. Make sure you have purchased the right supplement to healthy and to benefit from taking prenatal supplements. Chances are that the quality of ingredients in some prenatal supplements are compromised, thus making them useless. So, choosing the prenatal supplements that have high quality ingredient is important. Choose from over-the-counter prenatal vitamins and prescribed prenatal vitamins carefully. If you are trying to get pregnant then, make sure you supply your body with an adequate amount of vitamins and nutrients to stay in good health.